L'Envie d'aimer
Encyclopedia
"L'Envie d'aimer" is a 2000 song recorded by French-born singer Daniel Lévi
and the troupe of The Ten Commandments. Released as first single
from the album Les Dix Commandements on June 2000, the song was a smash hit and the most successful single from the musical. The song is currently among the biggest selling singles of all time in France.
, Lionel Florence, who had already several number-one hits in France such as "Savoir aimer
" and "Tu ne m'as pas laissé le temps
", Serge Guirao, who had written for Art Mengo
, the song was very moving. An expert of French charts made this analysis of the song : "With the text of the verses, spaced out and almost minimal, [Lévi] murmurs, he speaks in a low voice, he sings hardly, a moderation which the sweetness of wind instruments blows him. And it is not due to a lack of voice : this one, disturbing of power and color, asks only to spread and the vowels of the tune are there for this."
". The song remained for 30 weeks in the top ten and 51 weeks on the chart (top 100), which is to date one of the records in terms of chart trajectory. In Belgium (Wallonia), the song peaked at #2 for six weeks and fell off the chart (top 40) after 36 weeks, 25 of them in the top ten.
To date, the song is the 47th best-selling single of all time in France.
In 2001, the song was awarded 'Original song of the year' at the Victoires de la Musique
.
in 2003 on the album Retour gagnant which was composed of cover versions recorded by artists famous in the 1980s. The same year, the song was covered by Julien Clerc
, Patrick Fiori
, Catherine Lara
and Liane Foly
on Les Enfoirés
' album La Foire des Enfoirés.
In 2002, Céline Dion
released a version in English under the title "The Greatest Reward" on her album A New Day Has Come
.
In 2006, the song was used as soundtrack of the 2006 film Comme t'y es belle !.
In 2007, Greek French television presenter Nikos Aliagas
recorded a Greek
version of the song with Elena Paparizou
, for his Greek duet album titled Rendez-Vous. The track was released as a single, accompanied by a music video.
Daniel Lévi
Daniel Lévi , is a French singer-songwriter, composer and pianist.-Biography:Daniel Lévi was born in Constantine, French Algeria. He spent his childhood in Lyon, where he was preparing for his job as a musician studying piano for a decade at the conservatory in the city. In 1983, he composed and...
and the troupe of The Ten Commandments. Released as first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from the album Les Dix Commandements on June 2000, the song was a smash hit and the most successful single from the musical. The song is currently among the biggest selling singles of all time in France.
Background and structure
The album version of the song is extended (6:28) and contains many choirs from the troupe. Written and composed by Pascal ObispoPascal Obispo
Pascal Michel Obispo is a French singer/songwriter.Pascal Obispo started singing in 1980. He got his first record deal in 1990, Le long du fleuve. With his second album, Plus que tout au monde, selling over 2 million albums, his songs became a popular success...
, Lionel Florence, who had already several number-one hits in France such as "Savoir aimer
Savoir aimer
"Savoir aimer" is a 1997 song recorded by the French singer Florent Pagny. It was the first single from his album of the same name, on which it features as first track, and his 14th single overall...
" and "Tu ne m'as pas laissé le temps
Tu ne m'as pas laissé le temps
"Tu ne m'as pas laissé le temps" is a 1999 song recorded by French artist David Hallyday. It was the lead single from his album Un Paradis / Un Enfer, released about two weeks after the single, in June 1999...
", Serge Guirao, who had written for Art Mengo
Art Mengo
Michel Armengot , more commonly known as Art Mengo, is a French singer and songwriter. Though born in the French city of Toulouse, he is of Spanish descent as his parents had fled from Spanish dictator Francisco Franco....
, the song was very moving. An expert of French charts made this analysis of the song : "With the text of the verses, spaced out and almost minimal, [Lévi] murmurs, he speaks in a low voice, he sings hardly, a moderation which the sweetness of wind instruments blows him. And it is not due to a lack of voice : this one, disturbing of power and color, asks only to spread and the vowels of the tune are there for this."
Chart performances and awards
In France, the single failed to reach #1, but went straight to #2 on June 10, 2002 and stayed there for six weeks, being unable to disloge Yannick's hit "Ces Soirées-làCes soirées-là
"Ces soirées-là" is a 2000 song recorded by French-born singer/rapper Yannick. It was the second single from his debut album C'est comme ça qu'on aime and was released in March 2000...
". The song remained for 30 weeks in the top ten and 51 weeks on the chart (top 100), which is to date one of the records in terms of chart trajectory. In Belgium (Wallonia), the song peaked at #2 for six weeks and fell off the chart (top 40) after 36 weeks, 25 of them in the top ten.
To date, the song is the 47th best-selling single of all time in France.
In 2001, the song was awarded 'Original song of the year' at the Victoires de la Musique
Victoires de la Musique
Victoires de la musique , is an annual French award ceremony that recognizes the best musical artists of the year.- Male artist of the year :*1985 : Michel Jonasz*1986 : Jean-Jacques Goldman*1987 : Johnny Hallyday...
.
Cover versions
The song was covered by Éric MorenaÉric Morena
Éric Morena is a French singer, made famous by his 1987 hit "Oh ! Mon bateau", which peaked at #22 in France...
in 2003 on the album Retour gagnant which was composed of cover versions recorded by artists famous in the 1980s. The same year, the song was covered by Julien Clerc
Julien Clerc
Julien Clerc, , born as Paul Alain Leclerc on 4 October 1947 in Paris, Clerc's parents divorced when he was still young. He grew up listening to classical music in his father's home, while his mother introduced him to the music of such singers as Georges Brassens and Edith Piaf...
, Patrick Fiori
Patrick Fiori
Patrick Fiori is a French singer.-Biography:Fiori was born to an Armenian father and a Corsican mother in Marseille, France. When he was only 12 years old, he was offered his first role in the musical La légende des santonniers...
, Catherine Lara
Catherine Lara
Catherine Lara is a French violinist, composer and singer.-Music career:As a child, Lara studied violin and received the first prize of chamber music at the Conservatoire de Paris in 1966....
and Liane Foly
Liane Foly
Liane Foly, is an popular French blues and jazz singer, actress, presenter and impressionist.-Early years:Foly was born the 16 December 1962 in the 7th arrondissement of Lyon. Her parents, a merchant family in French Algeria, returned to France in 1962 with the Pied-Noir community and moved to...
on Les Enfoirés
Les Enfoirés
Les Enfoirés , is the name given to the singers and performers in the yearly charity concert for the Restaurants du Cœur .-History:...
' album La Foire des Enfoirés.
In 2002, Céline Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
released a version in English under the title "The Greatest Reward" on her album A New Day Has Come
A New Day Has Come
A New Day Has Come is Celine Dion's 18th studio album which marked her return after two-year hiatus to have a child. It was released on March 22, 2002. A New Day Has Come is Dion's 9th English album and 29th in total...
.
In 2006, the song was used as soundtrack of the 2006 film Comme t'y es belle !.
In 2007, Greek French television presenter Nikos Aliagas
Nikos Aliagas
Nikos Aliagas is a Greek-born French host of the French music reality program named Star Academy. One of his parents came from the area of Stamna in the prefecture of Aitoloacarnania in Greece. He speaks five languages including English...
recorded a Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
version of the song with Elena Paparizou
Elena Paparizou
Eleni "Elena" Paparizou , usually referred to abroad as Helena Paparizou, is a Greek-Swedish singer and occasional songwriter, who was born and raised in Sweden by Greek parents. She began her career there in 1999 as a member of the duo Antique, while she also worked briefly as a model for a...
, for his Greek duet album titled Rendez-Vous. The track was released as a single, accompanied by a music video.
Track listings
CD single- "L'envie d'aimer" — 5:10
- "Mais tu t'en vas" by Nourith, Lisbet Guldbaek, Ginie Line, Yaël — 5:34
Certifications and sales
| Country | Certification | Date | Sales certified | Physical sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | Diamond | 2000 | 750,000 | 1,200,000 |
Charts
| Chart (2000) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart | 2 |
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 2 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 20 |
| End of year chart (2000) | Position |
|---|---|
| Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart | 3 |
| French Singles Chart | 4 |
| End of year chart (2001) | Position |
| French Singles Chart | 77 |